Likewise Alexander the great, notwithstanding he were brought vp in all good letters vnder Aristotle, yet Alexander. when he was to inlarge his empire, he gaue himselfe to the diligent reading of Homer, the most exact chrono|grapher of the Troian wars: and so he esteemed that booke, that in the daie time he caried it about him, and in the night time he laid it vnder his beds head; and at all times conuenient he would be reading of it, and in the end was so perfect therein, that he could verbatim repeat the whole without booke; the stratagems, the policies, and the manie deuises vsed in those warres he practised in his owne warres, which stood him in great steed. Iulius Caesar also in his wars searched the ancient bookes and histories of the citie of Rome: and did not onelie thereby Iulius Caesar. draw a paterne for his owne direction, both for his ciuill and his martiall affaires: but also, he being then the greatest monarch of all the world, thought it not preiudiciall to his imperiall estate and maiestie, to commend vnder his owne hand writing vnto his posteritie, the historie of his owne age and dooings. Manie like princes hath England bred, who haue bin verie carefull, that the memoriall of the good things doone in their times should Mat. Parisiens [...]s in prefa [...]. be commended to their posteritie, to follow in the like. And therefore euerie king for the course of sundrie hun|dreds of yeares, was woont to reteine and keepe some wise, learned, and faithfull scribes, who should collect and record the things doone in euerie their seuerall times, and all which as time and course of yeares did serue, were published; and what great good benefits haue growne thereby to this present age, and like to serue to the future time, all the world maie easilie see and iudge. For this I dare boldlie saie and affirme: No realme, no nation, no state, nor commonwealth throughout all Europa, can yeeld more nor so manie profitable lawes, directions, rules, examples & discourses, either in matters of religion, or of ciuill gouernment, or of martiall affairs, than doo the histories of this little Isle of Britaine or England. I would to God I might or were able to saie the like, or the halfe like of Ireland, a countrie, the more barren of good things, the more replenished with actions of bloud, mur|ther, and lothsome outrages; which to anie good reader are greeuous & irkesome to be read & considered, much Ireland yeel|dech small matter for an historie. more for anie man to pen and set downe in writing, and to reduce into an historie. Which hath beene some cause whie I was alienated and vtterlie discouraged to intermedle therein: for being earnestlie requested, by reason of my some acquaintance with the maners and conditions of that nation during my short abode therein, to con|tinue the historie of that land, from the death of king Henrie the eight vnto these presents, which hitherto hath not beene touched; I found no matter of an historie woorthie to be recorded: but rather a tragedie of cruelties to be abhorred, and no historie of good things to be followed: and therefore I gaue the matter ouer, and was fullie resolued not at all to haue intermedled therewith. Neuerthelesse, being againe verie earnestlie requested, and no excuse neither of my age, nor of my often sicknesse, nor of my calling in the seruice of the commonwelth, nor of my small learning and skill, sufficient to compas such a matter, could be accepted: then (but with an euill will) I entred into it, and the more I bethought my selfe of the matter, the more I began to consider, and at length to behold the great and woonderous workes of God, both of his seuere iudgement against traitors, rebels, and disobedient; and of his mercie and louing kindnesse vpon the obedient and dutifull. Whereof, though there be The iustice of God against rebels. infinite examples both in the sacred histories and humane chronicles: yet I find none more apparant and effectu|all, nor more fit for vs, and for this our time and age, than the histories of our owne nation, which yeeld vnto vs most infinite examples, how yoong princes rebelling against the kings their fathers, noble men against their so|uereignes, and the commons against the kings and rulers, some by the mightie hand of God swallowed vp in the Grafton, Holinshed, Polydore, in Hen. 2. Edw. 2. seas, some deuoured with the swoord, some by martiall and some by ciuill lawes executed to death: and few or none haue escaped vnpunished. But of all others, none to be compared to this tragicall discourse of Ireland, and to the most vnnaturall wars of the Desmonds against hir sacred maiestie. Whose disobedience the Lord hath in iustice so seuerelie punished and reuenged, as the like hath not in our age beene seene nor knowne; which albeit somewhat at large it be set downe in the historie, yet breefelie and in effect is as followeth.

The earle of Desmond, named Girald Fitzgirald, was descended of a yoonger house of the Giraldines of Kil|dare, and both of them descended from one and the same ancestor Girald of Windsor, a noble gentleman of Normandie; who after his arriuall into England, trauelled into Wales, and there maried the ladie Nesta daughter to the great Roesius prince of south Wales, and by hir among others had issue Moris Fitzgirald, ancestor to these the foresaid Giraldines; and he being assistant to Dermon mac Morogh king of Leinster in Ireland, was one of the cheefest and most principall seruitors in the conquest, or rather one of the conquerors of that land vnder king Henrie the second. The issue and ofspring of this Moris as they were honourable in blood, so they were no lesse honorable in all their actions: they being verie famous for their good gifts of the mind, in wisedome and policie in their ciuill gouernment, and renowmed for their valiantnesse and prowesse in martiall affaires, in both which they had well tried themselues, and therefore manie times they had the cheefe gouernment of the whole realme, being sometime lord iustices, somtime lord lieutenants, and sometime lord deputies of the whole land: and for their truth and fidelitie were aduanced to honor. For Thomas Fitzgirald being the elder house, was cre|ated earle of Kildare in the ninth yeare of king Edward the second, in the yeare one thousand three hundred and fifteene. And in the beginning of king Edward the third his reigne, in the yeare one thousand three hundred twentie and seuen, Moris Fitzthomas a yoonger brother of that house was created earle of Desmond. And from thense as before, they continued verie honourable, dutifull & faithfull subiects, for the course of sundrie hundreds of yeares: vntill that this brainesicke and breakedanse Girald of Desmond, and his brethren, alies, and complic [...]s, forgetting the honour of his house, and forsaking their faith, dutie and alegiance, did breake into treasons, and shewed themselues open enimies, traitors and rebels, vsing all maner of hostilities and outrages, to the impeach of hir most sacred maiestie, and the destruction of the commonwelth: the price whereof in the end he paied with his and their own bloods, to the vtter destruction of themselues and that whole familie, there be|ing Sir Iames of Desmond ta|ken & hanged. Sir Iohn of Desmond kil|led & hanged. The earles sonne a priso|ner in the To|wer of Londõ. The countesse of Desmond I [...]eth a wofull life. D. Allen slaine D. Sanders di|eth miserablie. The land left altogither baren. verie few Giraldines in the prouince of Mounster left to bemone or bewaile their deaths. For first the earle himselfe, the cheefe of his familie, after his long repast in his traitorous follies, was driuen in the end to all extre|mities and penuries, and at the last taken in an old cotage, and his head was cut off and sent to London, and there set vpon London bridge, and his lands and inheritance confiscated and discontinued from his house and name for euer. Sir Iames one of his yoonger brethren, in taking of a preie, was taken and made a preie; he was han|ged as a theefe, quartered as a traitor, and his head and quarters dispersed and set vpon the gates and wals of the citie of Corke. Sir Iohn of Desmond, an other of his yoonger brethren, and next to himselfe the cheefe ringlea|der of this rebellion, was taken, his head cut off and set vpon the castell of Dublin, and his bodie hanged by the heeles at Corke. His onelie sonne and heire being wholie disinherited, is prisoner in the Tower of London. His ladie and wife destituted of all honour and liuings, leadeth a dolefull & a miserable life. His capteins, soldiers, and men of warre, put all for the most part to the swoord. The popes two prelats and nuncios, the one slaine in the field, and the other died most miserablie in the woods. The Italians and strangers few or none left aliue to returne to aduertise of their successe vnto their holie father. The common people such as escaped the swoord, all for the most part are perished with famine, or fled the countrie. The land it selfe being verie fertile, is waxed baren, yeel|ding nor corne nor fruits; the pastures without cattell, and the aire without fowles, and the whole prouince for the most part desolate and vnhabited, sauing townes and cities: and finallie, nothing there to be seene but mise|rie and desolation.

EEBO page image 62 A notable and a rare example of Gods iust iudgement and seuere punishment, vpon all such as doo resist and rebell against the higher powers and his annointed: which is so greeuous an offense in his sight, that next to the capitall offenses against the first table, this is accounted the greatest and in the highest degree. For as it is written, Who resisteth against the higher power, resisteth against Gods ordinances, and he shall receiue iudgement. And the Lord shall root him from out of the face of the earth that shall blaspheme his gods, and curseth the prince of Rom. 13. the people. Euen as of the contrarie, when the people liue in all subiection, humblenesse, and obedience, the Lord defendeth and keepeth them, and with his manifold blessings prospereth them; as hir maiesties good subiects The prosperi|tie and quiet|nes in the English pale. dwelling within the English pale, and inhabiting within hir cities and townes can witnesse. They sow and till the land, and doo reape the fruits. Their fields are full of sheepe, and they are clothed with the wooll. Their pa|stures are full of cattell, and they inioie them. Their cities and townes are well inhabited, and they liue in safetie. All things go well with them, and peace and plentie resteth in their houses. Two notable examples (I saie) and woorthie to be throughlie obserued; the one of Gods iust iudgement against the rebels and traitors, and the o|ther of mercie and loue towards the obedient and dutifull subiect. Which examples the later they are, the more should they imprint in vs an inward affection and an vndoubted resolution, to yeeld to the superiours all dutie and obedience: and by the examples of the rebels, to shun as a pestilence all disobedience and rebellion; least in dooing the like, we doo receiue the like iust iudgements with them. Let therefore the examples of the elders be sufficient persuasions and instructions to the posteritie, to follow that which is good, and to eschew that which is euill. For albeit good counsell of our friends, and conferences with the good men, maie much preuaile with vs, yet none can so much preuaile nor be of such vertue and effect, as the examples of our ancestors, and the actions of our forefathers when they be laid before vs: Magis enim exemplis potest persuaderi, quàm argumentis extorqueri. Patric. de in [...] reip. And therfore in times past, the surest course which our forefathers tooke, either in ciuill gouernment or in marti|all affaires, was that which they drew from the examples of their ancestors before them. And for as much as such is the value and vertue of the footsteps of our forefathers, I trust it shall not be offensiue vnto you, that I doo a little digresse and speake somewhat of your selfe and of your ancestors; who the more honourable they were in their times, the greater cause haue you to looke into the same: that what in some of your later forefathers was con|sopited, maie not in you be consepulted, but rouzed and raised vnto his former and pristinat state. And for as much as I am somewhat acquainted in their descents, let me make bold with you to laie the same downe be|fore you.